R. LÓPEZ de HEREDIA VIÑA GRAVONIA RIOJA BLANCO 2017

Vina Gravonia is a celebrated white Rioja wine from Lopez de Heredia. Their whites again can age for decades and offer a totally different experience than anything else from Rioja or elsewhere. 100% Viura, aged for 2 years in oak and 8 years in the bottle. Nutty Sherry-like aroma with delicious notes of beeswax, sesame seed, white peach and tangerine. One of the most uniquely delicious white wines found anywhere in the world.

94+/100 Luis Gutierrez, RobertParker.com, February 2025 (2017 Vintage)
"The nose of the 2017 Viña Gravonia Blanco is unmistakably López de Heredia, with those mushroom, white pepper and pollen aromas that remind you so much of the smell in their ancient caves. 2017 was the year of the big frost in April and the scarcity of rain that made it the earliest, scarcest and quickest harvest they have experienced in their recent history. The grapes for this wine were the first grapes picked, the 14th of September, from vines aged 93 years. It fermented in even older oak vats with indigenous yeasts ("We have never added yeasts to our wines," they answer when asked) and matured in used American oak barrels for four years (possibly more looking at the bottling date). Of course, this could qualify as a Gran Reserva, but they keep it at Crianza (to have a range), and it's sold at a bargain price for its quality and age. It's characterful and nuanced, with some hints of development (diesel) and a lightish palate with pungent flavours and great harmony. "